


The Golden Skag

by Caves



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Drunk/Tipsy Tim, Fluff, M/M, Maybe OOC Fluff?, claw machine, very slight blood tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:47:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21982411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caves/pseuds/Caves
Summary: Timothy takes a drunken walk down memory lane. Jack finds him on the floor. Emotions ensue.Or, that fic where Tim tries and fails to win a claw machine and Jack helps him out a bit.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Timothy Lawrence, Jackothy - Relationship
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	The Golden Skag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JugumPuppet](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=JugumPuppet).



> This is my gift for @JugumPuppet for the 2019 Borderlands Gift Exchange!!  
> They wanted some soft and fluffy [Jackothy], so I tried my best to deliver on that.  
> I hope you enjoy it!!

Multi-colored lights twinkled along the outside of the machine casting stained glass shadows across the floor. Timothy stumbled past the machine closing his eyes, hoping to avoid the temptation once again. Jack was expecting him back soon - which meant there was no time for detours. Unfortunately, his attempt to ignore it was thwarted by a painfully nostalgic, upbeat 8-bit tune. The music was jingling from a hidden speaker, sparking the flame of a long forgotten memory. Nostalgia wasn’t something that Tim had the luxury of experiencing. At least, not normally anyways. By himself and tipsy, he decided that it was time for a change of pace. Timothy paused mid-stride and turned back around to face the machine. 

When Tim was a kid, his mother would give him an allowance to go to their local arcade. He never got into the various racing games or shooters. Those didn’t require enough skill for his taste. No, Timothy Lawrence preferred _claw machines_. His hand-eye coordination was immaculate, plus he could always tell when the system was ready to actually clamp down. Insert a few coins to start, position the claw delicately over the desired prize, and hit drop before the countdown was finished. The machine would play a melody during the countdown, slowly picking up speed at the timer got closer to zero. Tim was fond of the sound; it helped him concentrate.

That fondness is what ultimately ended up coaxing Timothy in for a closer look. Jack never allowed him to reminisce. Previous punishments for attempting to recall his past life were enough to deter him from ever trying again. But when a physical reminder of one of his favorite memories appeared out of nowhere, there was no way Tim could resist. Instead of dwelling on what could happen if he was caught, he focused on the bright possibilities in front of him. Behind the glass was a pile of cheaply mass produced _possibilities_. Overstuffed Rakks, four legged Crystalisks, and blobs of what he assumed were supposed to be Spiderants (small, round heads with six straw-thin legs) were the only stuffed animals he could positively identify. Above the mound of animals hung a silver three pronged claw, waiting at the ready. 

Tim glanced up and down the dimly lit, deserted hallway. It was odd placement for a claw machine, especially on this part of Helios. Tim usually understood why things were laid out the way they were, but occasionally he figured Jack just... put stuff in places. At first he thought it was being moved or had been misplaced, but the machine was still there after a couple months. Not that he came around here every day, but some nights, when there were a few too many forgotten memories threatening to dredge their way back up to the surface, a slow walk through an off-limits sector was all he needed to clear his head. Other times, (the times when he was drunk) it was just an easy, quiet place to roam around without fear of tarnishing Handsome Jack’s sparkling reputation.

In his current inebriated state of mind **,** he didn’t think too long or hard about how the machine got there. He shot another glance at the creatures inside the machine. What finally caught his eye was a glint of gold from the back of the machine. It was shrouded beneath two neon purple Crystalisks- a single tiny, shimmering paw sticking out. Whatever that animal was, it looked different, and Tim liked different. The machine called for two coins to play one round, no option for digital payment. Rummaging through his multitude of pockets, he tried to recall if he had any change at all. Physical currency on Helios was scarce. Transactions were nearly all digital, just a wave of a wristwatch or a card would usually suffice as payment. After some fishing, his fingers mercifully found a pocket with a few (five!) usable coins. Timothy now had a plan. He was going to win that shiny, golden Skag if it was the last thing he ever did. 

* * *

Tim’s back hit the cold glass of the machine. It was a stark contrast to the warm sweat soaking the fabric of his shirt. The temperature change grounded him as he slid down the side of the machine, not slowing down until he hit the titanium floor. Head in his hands and frustration in his gut- Timothy felt defeated. Both of his attempts to play the game had failed. As the claw descended, it wouldn’t stop swaying. Not to mention, it refused to clamp down on anything. All he had managed to do was knock one of the Crystalisks off of the golden Skag, exposing it slightly. How could a simple claw machine - a game he’d mastered playing- be so hard?! What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he just DO the THING he wanted to do? He’d just wanted a break. Just one break from being Handsome Jack. He wanted two minutes to be himself, to have fun and relax without an image to uphold.

"Timothy!"

Tim winced, Jack's booming voice had caught him off guard. He hadn't even heard the other man's footsteps approaching him. This was it. Jack knew what he was doing here, and now he was going to die. The CEO stood in front of him, hands on his hips. Like a parent about to chastise their child for sneaking out, Jack's expression was coldly stern. 

"What the hell are you doing on the floor? Do you know how friggin' late it is? I stayed up waiting for you. I almost-" 

"I’m sorry! I-I saw the machine, and got distracted. It won’t- * _hic*_ happen again," The doppelgänger whispered through his hands, which were now covering his face.

"What?" 

"I just want- _hic_ wanted to win the Golden _hic_ Skag. I got carried away. Jack, I’m- _hic_ sorry.” 

"Don’t say sorry. Just do better next time. Also... the hell is a Golden Skag?" Jack squatted down to Timothy’s level. His stern expression softened into something more concerned, "Wait, are you _crying_? Hey, no. We don't do that. Not in public, okay?" 

Jack carefully removed one of Timothy’s hands from his face and held it gingerly. It was rare that his boss ever laid caring hands on him. Tim felt slightly intimidated until he looked up and saw Jack’s expression. Sometimes Tim forgot that, in the known universe, there were only a couple people that Jack actually cared about other than himself, and he was one of them. It showed on Jack’s mask, his face, he looked gentle and kind for once. Jack stroked Tim’s hand with his thumb comfortingly, before wiping away the tears that were slowly rolling down his cheeks.

“You… You’re not- _hic_ going to kill me?” Timothy sniffed, holding back any further waterworks.

“Kill you? No. I'm gonna take you home. C’mon, Cupcake, I could just buy you millions of those dumb little Skags.” Jack said, waving his hand dismissively towards the exit. 

“There’s nothing fun about just- _hic_ buying it, Jack. I just wanted to play, and-and to win. I mean I usually do, I swear!”

“Let’s try again, then. C’mon. Up,” Jack stood up and held out his hands to Tim.

“No,” Timothy shook his head, ignoring Jack’s outstretched hands.

“How longs it been since ya even played one of these bad boys?” The CEO took it upon himself to slap the side of the side of the machine like he was slapping a used car.

“Decades, Jack," Tim sighed.

“If it’s been decades, don’t ya think ya need to give it more than a couple tries, Cupcake?” 

Jack smiled slyly at the man sat on the floor. After a few glances and a heated, silent exchange of eyebrow waggling, Tim reluctantly accepted Jack’s offer. Jack pulled Timothy up and grasped his arms, careful to keep the tipsy double upright. 

"Whaddya say, Kiddo? Are ya gonna let me help you win now, or what?"

"Punching the machine and then hacking into it when that doesn’t work isn't winning, y'know."

"Yeah, dum-dum, I know,” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

Jack’s touch was sobering. Comfortable warmth surrounded Timothy as Jack moved in close behind, wrapping his arms around him. After inserting another two coins, Jack held Tim's right hand, gently guiding the claw into place over the Skag. His left hand snaked around the other man's waist while leaning in to get a closer look at just what they were dealing with. Satisfied with the position over the Skag, Jack moved their hands to hit the drop button. The claw clamped down, but the Golden Skag slipped through the prongs, into the furthest corner of the machine. 

“Son of a taint!” Jack dropped Tim’s hand, opting to punch the glass in front of him instead. A spider crack formed underneath his fist, the glass creaking. 

“What did you do that for, you idiot?! If you break it, we can’t play anymore!” Tim grabbed Jack’s hand, observing the damage. His vision was still slightly blurred, but he could tell there was blood blossoming on his knuckles. Timothy’s gaze drifted between Jack’s hand and his eyes. Something harsh and unreadable clouded those hetero-chromatic eyes, Tim wanted to know what it was. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could focus enough to speak, Jack grabbed his shoulders and kissed him. 

Kissing Handsome Jack was like making out with a wall socket. Spine chillingly electrifying and potentially deadly. When their lips met, there was a clash of bold intention and meek uncertainty. Unstoppable, aggressive force meets an uncontentious, immovable man. If Tim ever had to describe what that moment felt like, it would be like a lifetime in a minute. His life passed right before his eyes. Timothy was the first to step back. Jack’s teeth pulled at his bottom lip as he moved away. Lights from the machine threw a kaleidoscope of colors across their faces, but Tim’s own face was flushed, and he knew that Jack could tell he was blushing. Maybe it was in the way Jack’s self-satisfied smirk fell into a genuine, soft smile that reached his eyes. Though, it was also likely that Jack had learned all of his mannerisms by now, keeping track of what needed to change for Tim to be a better Handsome Jack. 

They both stood still for a moment, taking in whatever *that* was. He just… kissed Handsome Jack, and lived! Tim wanted to jump for joy, but decided against it. Falling over and making even more of a fool of himself wouldn’t play well in his favor. He took a deep breath and dared himself to look into the other man’s eyes again. Depths of unreadable emotion gazed back at him. Jack leaned forward, brushing past his cheek.

“Hey, Tim, do you still want that dumb Skag?” Jack whispered softly into his ear, as if Timothy’s name was his personal confession. 

* * *

  
  


A loud metallic clang jolted Tim awake. He groggily whipped his head up, wincing at the sudden onslaught of bright, overhead lighting. Timothy let out a sigh of relief as he realized that the noise came from a loader bot. At the other end of the corridor, a loader bot stood in front of a service door. While stretching his arms up over his head, he tried to remember when he fell asleep. With a throbbing head and foggy thoughts, his chin felt wet, and the left half of his butt had fallen asleep from his position on the unforgiving floor. Tim wasn’t a person who normally drooled, but sleep in combination with alcohol was usually enough to make this time an exception. 

Wiping away the drool on his chin, he stood up. Confident in his ability to stay upright, he turned around to face the claw machine. Tim was faced with a tall, rectangular metal container. Definitely not a claw machine. And definitely no Jack. His hand flew to his head, trying to remember last night. Or was it all just a dream? There wouldn’t be claw machines on this part of Helios, Tim knew this. In his drunken stupor he must have just fallen asleep here. Shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, Timothy laughed. As though trying to convince himself that the warmth in his chest didn’t spread when he thought about Jack. It was just a silly dream- his tired brain playing tricks on him. He didn’t really feel that way about Handsome Jack, no one could. 

Timothy took a deep breath and composed himself. The container he had slept against was nearly as tall as the ceiling. There wasn’t anything else in this hallway, so it felt out of place. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked around the box. On the other side was a big, green label: “ **SHIP TO: HANDSOME JACK - CORRIDOR 234-B. SPECIFICATION: 21-C, OPEN IMMEDIATELY.** ” Tim’s heart rate skyrocketed. 21-C was the code to refer to Timothy in confidential documents or over ECHO comms and speakers. Tim was almost certain Jack was the only one alive who knew what that code even meant, keyword: alive.

There was a latch on the side of the crate. Unprotected, no lock of any kind in sight. Should he call Jack and let him know there was a package here that clearly seemed suspicious? Or should he just open it, since it was clearly addressed to _Timothy._ Tim considered his options. It could potentially contain a bomb, a rabid Skag, or even a biological weapon. He shrugged. Either way, he could handle it. Probably. Though his hands were sweaty from nerves, he wiped them off on his pants and gripped the latch. In one fluid movement, the latch was opened. Tim was knocked back onto the ground by the force of the door swinging open. Another assassination attempt right now was just what he needed. Once the air returned to his lungs, Tim reached for his pistol, readying himself for an imminent attack.

When he sat up and aimed his weapon straight ahead at the crate, he found himself confronted with a pile of golden, plush Skags. Hundreds of them surrounded him, flowing out of the box all over the floor and covering the lower half of his body. Timothy froze. This meant it definitely wasn’t a dream. It _did_ happen and he _did_ , indeed feel that way about Handsome Jack. He re-holstered his weapon and picked one of the stuffed animals. There was a small tag attached to each one reading:

“ _To: Handsome Jack_ _  
_ _From: Handsome Jack_ _  
_ _Now, wasn’t this much easier, Kiddo?_ ”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading it!  
> Comments or suggestions letting me know of mistakes are welcome!
> 
> Shout out to Prinsu, Toasty, Mossie, and Lerue for helping me with beta'ing and proofreading!!


End file.
